Armless Dragon, Cardiff

Last night our party of three darkened the door of the Armless Dragon.We were greeted with grimaces by two waitresses, and directed to a table, set in the sort of decor that could best be described as well used, and at worst, cruelly laid to waste by the ravages of time.In no time at all, three bowls of complimentary leek and potato soup were plonked down on the table, allowing us to whet our palates with a broth which could only have been born in a can and ended its life brutally executed in a microwave.At this point, I was thinking we should leave. I don't think I was the only one.Wine was ordered, and without ceremony our bottle of 1er cru Chablis was torn open, and sloshed into cheap glasses (the ones from your local bowls club with the imperial measurements) with little attention.With prices like these, surely they could invest in some decent glasses.My starter was the Perl Las & Pear Tart with Toasted Walnut. An item which could have had some potential had it not apparently been accidentally toasted upside down, with the result that the base was as solid as granite and the contents on top pale and drawn.My companions both had the Cawl, which we suspected consisted of water flavoured with more water. Gulag quality stuff.The vacuous middle-of-the-road music burbling out of the stereo system did nothing at this point to add to the restaurant's charm.Once more unto the breach, dear friends, once more...Two plates of Woodland Mushroom Ravioli, and one Mountain Lamb Rump with Smoked Potato.I won't go into any great detail about these delicasies as words fail me.Well, all except one. Tesco.We declined the offer of dessert, added £10 gratuity (God only knows why) and exited £105 lighter than we did one hour earlier.I wish I could be less harsh, but the fact that the Armless Dragon offered us so very little for so much singles it out for particular criticism.I suggest a change of name - The Charmless Dragon.

Well I decided to take my partner out to the Armless Dragon so that he could experience Welsh cusine!!!! I think the Armless Dragon should be renamed souless dragon. We arrived for 8.30 and we felt that the restaurant was cold so we kept are jackets on, unperturbed we sat down and looked at the menu choice, which looked very good . We ordered a bottle of wine, which the waiting staff seemed to just plonk on our table. I ordered cockles and laverbread fried cakes to start , the came back and try as i might could I find a cockle or much evidence of laverbread for that matter- no it seemed like I had been brought what was essentially a patatoe croquet, after asking the waitress where was the cockles I was advised this was apparently new menu and they were having some technical problems. She proceeded to get me another only for me to find surprise, surprise what seemed to be another potatoe cake with no hint of a cockle...the main course was in fairness very good...but desserts were ordred I had lemon and honey syllabub and my partner had panna cotta -----my illuminous yellow dessert came back ..it seemed to me to be more a lemon curd syllabub not an experience i would rush back to my partner appeared to try in vain to cut through his panna cotta but what he thought was perhaps an over zealous application of gelatine made this seemingly unachievable. This experience left us with £3.00 change from £100 spent.

I feel I experienced poor service (waitress staff seemed not attentive, had to ask them to take order for food and drinks, didn't pour the wine, didn't give enough menu's, didn't seem to know what the menu items contained or how to describe them, plonked things down on the table)

Scallops seemed to have been halved as did my fillet steak (it was the thinnest fillet I have ever had and I eat it regularly).

Chocolate pudding very tasteless.

Coffees served before the desserts

The restaurant pitches itself as somewhere special but I feel the service let it down on my visit and was more like a cafe. When I pay good money for a main course I expect not to have to chase the waiting staff for everything.

Was very much looking forward to my trip to the Armless Dragon, where I'd never eaten. It was a Friday evening, but only two other tables occupied - apparently not in the middle of a dining buzz!

Very disappointing. The menu seemed lovely (though very little vegetarian choice). Amazed that everything seemed hugely over salted. I suspect that the food underneath would have been delicious, but very over-seasoned. I'm not someone who skimps on seasoning myself, but I thought this was ridiculous. None of our party of four, who all chose different options, could finish their meal.